Wednesday, February 1, 2017

BLOOD ROSE REBELLION by Rosalyn Eves

When I heard that Rosalyn Eves' BLOOD ROSE REBELLION takes place in an alternate Victorian historical landscape, I knew I had to feature it. School Library Journal also called it, "An enjoyable, fast-paced read with a likable protagonist with whom teens will identify."

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

And here is the animated cover (credit to Agent Bob, as the artist, and Ray Shappell, as the designer):

According to your website bio, you grew up in the Rocky Mountains and like to hike. What is your favorite thing about the outdoors?

The mountains are home to me. I lived in Pennsylvania for six years while I was in graduate school, and while the rolling hills and woods have their own kind of beauty, I don't feel quite as safe without the barrier of mountains on at least one side of me. I love being able to get up and away from my everyday life and get perspective (both literal and figurative). Where we live now, we're within a couple of hours of some spectacular National Parks--Zion and Bryce Canyon--and somehow the sight of the red rock makes me feel like whatever problems I'm facing aren't quite as insurmountable as they may feel in the midst of them.

I feel the same way--I went to camp near the Colorado Rockies, and the mountains have held a sense of home for me ever since. Speaking of majestic settings, THE BLOOD ROSE REBELLION takes place in an alternate Victorian England. What is your favorite part of the world you built?

Anna only spends a few chapters in Victorian England before being sent to Hungary with her grandmother--and Hungary has a very special place in my heart, as I lived there for nearly a year and a half. I love the people, the culture, and the (difficult) language. But really, my favorite part of these Victorian worlds are the balls--all the glitter and glamour and dancing! One of these days I'm going to make it to an authentic Victorian ball where I get to put on a dress with poofy skirts and practice my rusty waltz.

That's definitely on my to-do list as well. I love that your book has an animated cover! What do you love most about the cover and why?

I love almost everything about the cover--I love the striking color contrast (the red on white) and I love the way the rose is breaking out of stone. It's symbolic of the heart of the story, and it also represents something that was important to me--that while Anna is a strong character, she's also conventionally feminine in terms of her world (that is, strength doesn't always have to be physical strength). The roses breaking stone are a great way of signifying that strength.

My thoughts exactly. What are some of your current projects? Can you tell us anything about the sequel to THE BLOOD ROSE REBELLION?

I'm currently working on book 3 (still working out some plot stuff) and working on edits on book two. I can say that book two finds Anna back in Europe--in Vienna this time, rather than Hungary--trying to deal with the aftermath of book one. :) I have a couple other projects in mind, but won't have time to work on them until the trilogy is mostly complete, so those are just simmering for now. One's another historical fantasy, the other is a third world fantasy. We'll see which one holds my attention when I get to that stage!